This isn’t a feel good book. This book is a journey through the pain and destruction found at the bottom of the bottle. Addiction takes no prisoners, and Agnes Bain is no exception.

The Bains live a dour and gloomy life, not unlike the blustery and oppressive Glasgow weather.  Agnes’ destructive behavior and poor decisions compiled with the hard hitting poverty of Thatcher’s policies, create a hopeless situation. Agnes only finds escape in drunkenness. Her children, particularly the youngest, Shuggie, are left to flounder with no freedom from the weariness. 

Much of the focus of this novel is on Agnes and her addiction. Shuggie definitely takes on a caretaker role with his mom. But his struggles don’t stop there. He is often called “no right.” This quiet, overly polite, well dressed gay child is overtly bullied by family, peers, neighbors, and teachers. Shuggie is desperate for approval but just can’t seem to find it. 

While hard to read, the author paints a clear, albeit bleak, picture of life tainted by alcoholism and poverty. Stuart’s writing leaves no gloomy, desolate detail of Shuggie’s life unfelt by the reader. This is likely because this novel is not entirely a work of fiction. Rather, Agnes is based upon Douglas Stuart’s own mother.

In the end, we see a glimpse of possibility for Shuggie. It’s only a glimpse. But I chose to see it as a glimmer of hope. Hope that Shuggie never seemed to let go of, even in the worst of circumstances. 

Good books often make you take stock, reflect, and learn. That’s exactly what Shuggie Bain did for me. My life looks very different from that of Agnes and Shuggie. But Stuart has allowed us readers the gift of reflection through this novel and the rawness of his own experience.